I buy a lot of books, hundreds in some years. I use Kindle only to read samples. One used to be able to spend hours in a bookshop thumbing through things.
You are a hero! We should lay laurels at your feet. Using Kindle for samples is a good idea … I have this little Kobo to avoid Amazon but it's a bit cumbersome.
I find it very hard to read at length on a kindle. I love the touch of a real print book in my hands especially clothbound titles that were lovingly designed and bound.
Thanks for this great piece. I’m a rare social scientist who self-publishes…not being in the academy is key…my new book is out May 17 - on Amazon. Our Worst Strength: American Individualism and its Hidden Discontents.
How interesting! Do you have a network of social scientists, or do you write for a general audience? The discontents of our individualism, a bountiful topic.
I write for a general audience under my own imprint. This new book is written at a 10th grade level per Flesh-Kincaid. My editor and I worked hard to achieve this. Happy to send digital review copies to anyone reading this.
I’ve been a professional writer of one sort or another all my adult life — mostly at newspapers but now here, on Medium and with books. I just launched one, The Trailer Park Rules. Everyone who has read it (writer friends and strangers alike) has praised it for the way it captures the gritty lives of people living in poverty in a page-turning way. But getting it into the hands of more people — that’s not easy. And I hate doing all this self-promotion! Nevertheless, be sure to buy my novel!
Thanks for tipping me off! I struggle with this in my own way. When I began Book Post everyone talked about how "micro targeting" was going to allow us small fry to reach our audiences. I think for some kinds of readers it comes naturally and is fun, and for others it's a journey across a huge divide.
I'm so glad you thought so! Thanks for reading, and writing. My own kid is in his twenties now. He still cares about reading and takes it seriously but it's hard for him to stick with it. They are used to life going by so much faster.
I also particularly enjoyed the part on the importance of children's books. I was reminded of the old Scholastic Book Fairs that used to come to school when I was a kid. What fun they were. Every now then I still come across a handful of their old paperback titles at a library book sale or something like that. I always pick them up, even though my children are by now mostly too old for them. Not great literature, but fun reads, and a great way to turn kids into readers. One way to rephrase your question, Ann, might be to ask whether there is still enough room in the industry today for what Orwell called "good bad books."
I loved writing about school book fairs. I came across a raft of distinguished people in books remembering fondly the goofball things they found there that made them avid readers. I once also had a great piece by Padgett Powell talking about the bad/good books he taught his students in writing class. His point was that as a writer a book that's not-so-great can be a batter starting point than a flat-out masterpiece...
It's certainly a good way to get attention! I think the title wasn't quite where her conclusions were. She was writing about the Penguin Random House / Simon & Schuster trial, which certainly showed publishing at its most ridiculous, in some respects by design, as I think LIncoln Michel pointed out. The trial was a fascinating peek inside for those of us not often in the boardroom in these places, but it was only a partial picture.
Interestng post! I may be in the minority here, but as a reader and book buyer I'm a fan of the publishing house or press. For example I love Fitzcarraldo Editions, NYRB, or Penguin Classics. Or the Critical Lives series published by Reakton Books. And there are more, but I love a press that is well edited and has a strong identity. Not far off from a great record label. One pretty much knows when they bought a Motown record, they will know it's quality work. Or Factory Records out of Manchester, UK. The taste of the publishing house is a big factor when I'm looking for books to read. I love Substack for its randomness (and quality) but I think the reader does need a sign post of sorts, and a great publishing house can supply that desire/pleasure to the customer/reader.
I 100% agree! I was at a conference once where publishers were talking about how influential NYRB had been in creating a strong visual style for their books, giving readers a little push to read something unknown to them because they trust the house. Once I shared a table at a book fair with Archipelago and you could really see this effect at work: people flocking to try out something new from them, and a lovely thing to own. When I began in publishing it was conventional wisdom that publishers weren't really "branded" in this way—people don't seek out books from Knopf or FSG—but I think the smaller houses have shown a way around this, beginning long ago perhaps with the City Lights Pocket Poets or the Lustig covers for New Directions. They have a beautiful set of Lustig postcards by the way, a nice present for a reader: https://www.ndbooks.com/book/alvin-lustig-for-new-directions/
I buy a lot of books, hundreds in some years. I use Kindle only to read samples. One used to be able to spend hours in a bookshop thumbing through things.
You are a hero! We should lay laurels at your feet. Using Kindle for samples is a good idea … I have this little Kobo to avoid Amazon but it's a bit cumbersome.
I find it very hard to read at length on a kindle. I love the touch of a real print book in my hands especially clothbound titles that were lovingly designed and bound.
Thanks for this great piece. I’m a rare social scientist who self-publishes…not being in the academy is key…my new book is out May 17 - on Amazon. Our Worst Strength: American Individualism and its Hidden Discontents.
How interesting! Do you have a network of social scientists, or do you write for a general audience? The discontents of our individualism, a bountiful topic.
I write for a general audience under my own imprint. This new book is written at a 10th grade level per Flesh-Kincaid. My editor and I worked hard to achieve this. Happy to send digital review copies to anyone reading this.
this is so spot on -- thank you!
Thank *you*!
I’ve been a professional writer of one sort or another all my adult life — mostly at newspapers but now here, on Medium and with books. I just launched one, The Trailer Park Rules. Everyone who has read it (writer friends and strangers alike) has praised it for the way it captures the gritty lives of people living in poverty in a page-turning way. But getting it into the hands of more people — that’s not easy. And I hate doing all this self-promotion! Nevertheless, be sure to buy my novel!
Thanks for tipping me off! I struggle with this in my own way. When I began Book Post everyone talked about how "micro targeting" was going to allow us small fry to reach our audiences. I think for some kinds of readers it comes naturally and is fun, and for others it's a journey across a huge divide.
This was really fantastic—I especially loved the part about children’s books and how to keep them hooked. Thank you!
I'm so glad you thought so! Thanks for reading, and writing. My own kid is in his twenties now. He still cares about reading and takes it seriously but it's hard for him to stick with it. They are used to life going by so much faster.
I also particularly enjoyed the part on the importance of children's books. I was reminded of the old Scholastic Book Fairs that used to come to school when I was a kid. What fun they were. Every now then I still come across a handful of their old paperback titles at a library book sale or something like that. I always pick them up, even though my children are by now mostly too old for them. Not great literature, but fun reads, and a great way to turn kids into readers. One way to rephrase your question, Ann, might be to ask whether there is still enough room in the industry today for what Orwell called "good bad books."
I loved writing about school book fairs. I came across a raft of distinguished people in books remembering fondly the goofball things they found there that made them avid readers. I once also had a great piece by Padgett Powell talking about the bad/good books he taught his students in writing class. His point was that as a writer a book that's not-so-great can be a batter starting point than a flat-out masterpiece...
https://books.substack.com/p/notebook-the-book-fair-returns-part
https://books.substack.com/p/diary-padgett-powell-eff-the-classics
Thanks for the links, Ann. I plan to read them as soon as I get my last few (late!) grades turned in.
Well said and spot on. My sense is that the person who posited people don't buy books like to publish controversial topics and stir things up.
It's certainly a good way to get attention! I think the title wasn't quite where her conclusions were. She was writing about the Penguin Random House / Simon & Schuster trial, which certainly showed publishing at its most ridiculous, in some respects by design, as I think LIncoln Michel pointed out. The trial was a fascinating peek inside for those of us not often in the boardroom in these places, but it was only a partial picture.
You are a crusader, Ann, of the best kind, and the only one I can think of who speaks so persuasively on the fate of books and reading them.
Thank you so much, faithful reader ❤️
Superb post. Thought-provoking, sobering reflection and analysis, in lucid prose. Thanks and kudos, Ann!
Thank you Allen! Now back to work on the important stuff!
Interestng post! I may be in the minority here, but as a reader and book buyer I'm a fan of the publishing house or press. For example I love Fitzcarraldo Editions, NYRB, or Penguin Classics. Or the Critical Lives series published by Reakton Books. And there are more, but I love a press that is well edited and has a strong identity. Not far off from a great record label. One pretty much knows when they bought a Motown record, they will know it's quality work. Or Factory Records out of Manchester, UK. The taste of the publishing house is a big factor when I'm looking for books to read. I love Substack for its randomness (and quality) but I think the reader does need a sign post of sorts, and a great publishing house can supply that desire/pleasure to the customer/reader.
I 100% agree! I was at a conference once where publishers were talking about how influential NYRB had been in creating a strong visual style for their books, giving readers a little push to read something unknown to them because they trust the house. Once I shared a table at a book fair with Archipelago and you could really see this effect at work: people flocking to try out something new from them, and a lovely thing to own. When I began in publishing it was conventional wisdom that publishers weren't really "branded" in this way—people don't seek out books from Knopf or FSG—but I think the smaller houses have shown a way around this, beginning long ago perhaps with the City Lights Pocket Poets or the Lustig covers for New Directions. They have a beautiful set of Lustig postcards by the way, a nice present for a reader: https://www.ndbooks.com/book/alvin-lustig-for-new-directions/
New Directions! Of course, how could I fail to list them above. And my publisher City Lights Books.
I second the plug for Archipelago Books, which does great work. I did a little piece on them about two years ago: https://thedispatch.com/article/a-literary-world-tour/.
What a wonderful piece! It is great to think of a small press's list making it into the classroom. And hoorah for the plug for the great Jeff Deutsch.
Thanks, Ann! I try to plug Archipelago every chance I get. And ironically, apropos Deutsch: https://thedispatch.com/article/one-of-the-greatest-instruments-of/.